St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-08-01
A DUEL WILL DECIDE IT,
Gen. Boulanger and Jules Ferry to Fight
With Pistols on the Soil of
Switzerland.
She MeetHg Arranged for To-Day, but
Perry's Seconds are Absent, and
Delay May Result.
De La Posse Willing to Fight Lauer--
:, GsssagnaeF Finally Refuses to
\ Fight Lauraffe.
President Diaz Has his Eye on the
Suspicious Movements of the Die
tator of Guatemala.
By Cable to the Globe.

by cable 10 the GLOBE.
LONDON, July 31.-The encounter be-
tween Jules Ferry and Gen. BOulanger,
which is expected to take place to-mor-
row at a point on the Swiss frontier,
will be one of the most important events
in the history of dueling, if the amount
of interest shown in TIE affair before
hand is to be taken as an indication of
its gravity. The matter is the universal
topic in the clubs and cafes of the city,
while in Paris the excitement over it is
described as unprecedented. English
people, who generally sneer at the
tendency of their southern neighborS
to resort to the code on light prOvoca-
ton, depart from this view in discuss
ing the present incident. They admit,
under the circumstances, Gen.
BOulanger would have been a poltrOon
had he failed to demand some SatiSfac-
tiOn from NJ. Ferry'S needless
insults, and the relative position
of the two men make the
duel the only mode of settlement prac-
ticable Frenchmen have always made
it one of their leading defenseS of the
practice of duelling that it tends to pre-
vent WantOn mendacity and unfounded
by imposing upon every one sense of
serious responsibility for his utteranceS.
Though many recent encounters in the
field of honor have lacked a motive
which could indicate this reasoning, the
present affair is not open to that criti-
ciSm. The calling of NJ. Ferry TO ac-
count can hardly fail to check the
VULGAR ABUSE
which has been poured upon Gen.
Boulanger from all quarters, apparently
for no better reason than that he is too
brilliant and aggressive soldier and
statesman to suit the crowd of medi-
OcriteS, who, since Gambetta'S death,
have divided public attention among
themselves without suffering too Sc
Yerely by comparison with any genuine
star of the first magnitude and
who have cherished the hope
of that comfortable state of
things continuing. 1t is possible
that the duel may not come off after
all, but no doubt is entertained tonight
that it will be fought either tomorrow
or within few days. NJ. Ferry'S
friends are trying to bring about set
tlement. The generals friends, on the
contrary, are inclined 10 let the meeting
take place. though they are somewhat
anxious as to the possible. effect upon
their herO's prospects, should the result
be fatal to VI. Ferry. They seem to in
dulge in no doubt that Gen. BOulanger
will come out of the ordeal unScathed. and
with his reputation for c0Olness, bray
cry and skill enhanced, but they realize
that the tragic taking off of so pr0mi-
nent a public servant as NJ. Ferry, would
be used as an effective weapon against
BOulanger among a certain large class of
the French people. The duel will I'M
dOubtedly be with pistols, as NJ. Perry
has the choice of weapons and is badly
out of sword practice.
PARIS, July 81 The duel between
Gen. Boulanger and eX-Premier Ferry
will propably take place tomorrow. Gen.
BCulanger allows NJ. Ferry the choice
of weapons, and pistols will probably
be selected. The friends of Gen.
Boulanger take serious view of the
affair.
NJ. Ferry's seconds are absent from
Paris and he may be obliged to appoint
others or postpone the duel until Tues
day. The CaSSagnac-Lauratfe duel
proved fiasco. CasSagnac refusing to
fight unless the names were given of
the eighty-four generals whom, he al
leges, proposed the coup d'etat to Gen.
BOulanger. Cassagnac publishes az
ticleS to-day ridiculing the laws.